Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) scores in the top of the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Sun Aug 23, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Barbara Mason:
#1 How did Brian Serven’s three-run home run help spark the A’s six-run fifth inning and change the momentum of the game against the Houston Astros on Sunday?
#2 What did Max Muncy contribute to the A’s comeback, and how important was his home run in giving Sacramento the lead?
#3 How would you evaluate Brady Basso’s start, particularly after he allowed four runs early in his hometown pitching debut?
#4 How did Lawrence Butler and Tommy White contribute to the A’s 10-hit offensive attack?
#5 The A’s open up a three game homestand against the Minnesota Twins on Monday night. Starting pitchers for Minnesota RHP Zebby Matthews (7-8 ERA 5.12) for Sacramento LHP Jeffrey Springs (3-11 ERA 6.02) first pitch 6:40pm PDT.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Brian Serven slugs a three run home run in the top of the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid in Houston on Sun Aug 23, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Daniel Dullum
After trailing by six runs after four innings, the Athletics tied the game in the fifth inning and eventually surged ahead on Max Muncy’s solo home run in the seventh on Sunday, as the A’s defeated Houston 7-6.
The A’s won two of their three games in Houston. Muncy hit his home run to left-center off Astros reliever Steven Okert, and Jack Perkins earned his first victory since April.
In the top of the fifth, Donovan Walton led off with a base hit and Darrell Hernaiz walked. Brian Serven followed with a three-run home run, cutting the Astros lead in half.
Henry Bolte singled and, after a strikeout, Zack Gelof was hit by a pitch prior to Lawrence Butler’s run-scoring double. Tommy White delivered a two-run single to tie the game at 6-6.
The Athletics used a bullpen game and Houston scored three runs off opener Brady Basso in the first, including a two-run home run by Jose Altuve.
In the Astros second, Perkins walked the bases loaded and issued an RBI walk to Altuve, making it 4-0. Perkins gave up three hits with six strikeouts and five walks in five innings, but got his first win since April 18.
Hogan Harris earned his 13th save for the Athletics.
The A’s went 2-5 on the seven-game road trip to Kansas City and Houston. The back-to-back losses to the A’s dropped Houston to 65-66 and the Astros and Texas are now tied atop the AL West.
A’s host the Minnesota Twins starting a three game series. Starting pitchers: For Minnesota RHP Zebby Matthews (7-8 ERA 5.12) to Sacramento Jeffrey Springs (3-11 ERA 6.02) first pitch 6:40pm PDT at Sutter Health Park.
Sacramento A’s Lawrence Butler (4) is congratulated by Max Muncy (3) after scoring in the top of the eighth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Sat Aug 22, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Daniel Dullum
A strong start from Jacob Lopez and a late rally gave the Sacramento Athletics a 4-3 win at Houston over the Houston Astros Saturday, snapping a eve-game losing streak.
Lopez gave up one run on three hits while striking out nine – a season high – while throwing 40 pitches in six innings. Luis Medina (5-3) picked up the win in relief and Elvis Alvarado earned his third save, striking out two in a scoreless ninth.
Houston was leading 3-1 in the top of the eighth when Jeff McNeil left off for the A’s with a base hit, followed by a walk issued to Zack Gelof. Alika Williams bunted them to second and third, McNeil scored on a wild pitch and Gelof scored the tying run on Lawrence Butler’s RBI single.
The A’s took a 4-3 lead when Tommy White hit a double and Jonah Heim drove him in with a run-scoring groundout.
Donovan Walton opened the scoring for the A’s with a solo home run to center that was hit an estimated 422 feet. The Astros tied the game in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double by Yainer Diaz. Houston took a 3-1 lead in the seventh on Daulton Varsha’s solo home run and an RBI single.
Hunter Brown started for the Astros and worked 5 2/3 innings. Bennett Sousa (1-2) took the loss.
In Sunday’s series finale, Brady Basso (0-0, 2.91) starts for the A’s and Cristian Javier (1-4, 5.44) is on the mound for Houston in a matchup of right-handers. Game time is 11 a.m. Pacific.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Houston Astros starter Hayden Wesneski delivers to the Sacramento A’s line up in the top of the first inning at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Fri Aug 21, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Tony Harvey:
#1 A’s starter J.T. Ginn: How would you evaluate Ginn’s start, especially his ability to keep the Astros off the scoreboard through the first five innings?
#2 Sacramento’s Lawrence Butler: What did Butler show at the plate, and what will the A’s need from him offensively going forward?
#3 A’s Zack Gelof: How important is Gelof’s continued development to the A’s rebuilding efforts after this difficult stretch?
#4 Sacramento’s Jonah Heim: What did Heim’s performance contribute to an A’s lineup that managed only three hits?
#5 Houston Astros Raynel Delgado: What did you make of Delgado’s performance, including the defensive play that helped complete a strike-’em-out, throw-’em-out double play?
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Houston Astros shortstop Nick Allen (left) completes a double play making a throw to first base while forcing out Henry Bolte (33) of the Sacramento A’s at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Fri Aug 21, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
Houston held the A’s to three singles and never allowed a runner to reach third base in a 4-0 loss that extended the Athletics’ losing streak to five games. Before the series opener, the A’s had won 10 of their previous 14 meetings with the Astros while averaging 6.1 runs and hitting 26 home runs. This game went in the opposite direction.
J.T. Ginn gave the Athletics a chance early. Houston put runners at second and third with one out in the first, but Ginn escaped after Jonah Heim successfully challenged a pitch that turned Daulton Varsho’s plate appearance into a strikeout. Ginn then struck out Christian Walker to end the inning. Heim kept affecting the game from behind the plate in the second, completing a strikeout-caught-stealing double play when Raynel Delgado went down and Yainer Diaz was erased trying for second. An inning later, Heim threw out Jose Altuve attempting to steal.
Hayden Wesneski was even tougher on the other side. The Houston right-hander allowed only one hit over five scoreless innings, with Donovan Walton’s third-inning single providing the only damage. Walton stole second, and Henry Bolte drew his second walk of the game, but Jeff McNeil popped out to end the threat. Wesneski struck out four and issued three walks, repeatedly keeping the A’s from turning baserunners into runs.
Houston finally broke through in the fourth. Isaac Paredes drew a leadoff walk, Varsho doubled him to third, and Walker lifted a sacrifice fly to center for a 1-0 lead. The fifth inning proved more costly. Nick Allen drew a one-out walk, Yordan Alvarez doubled him home, and Paredes followed with another double to score Alvarez. In the span of two extra-base hits, a one-run game became 3-0.
Ginn finished five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. It was a respectable outing against the AL West leaders, but the margin for error was almost nonexistent because the Athletics could not solve Houston’s pitching. The loss dropped Ginn to 8-8 after he entered with a 3.53 ERA and a season that included two no-hit bids lasting at least six innings.
The A’s had their best chance against the bullpen in the sixth. McNeil singled with one out, and Carlos Cortes added another single two batters later to put two aboard. Bennett Sousa ended the inning by striking out Lawrence Butler. In the seventh, Heim and Walton drew consecutive walks against Bryan Abreu, but Max Muncy struck out and Bolte grounded out. Steven Okert retired the Athletics in order in the eighth, then Enyel De Los Santos finished the ninth after Heim reached second on an error.
Alvarez supplied the final run in the seventh. Raynel Delgado drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Allen’s sacrifice bunt and reached third on Altuve’s fly ball. Alvarez then delivered his second RBI double of the game, making it 4-0. He finished 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBIs and a hit-by-pitch, providing nearly all the distance Houston needed.
For the Athletics, McNeil, Cortes and Walton collected the three hits. Bolte reached twice on walks, and Heim reached twice as well, but the A’s finished without an extra-base hit. Butler, who entered with five home runs in 18 August games, went hitless with two strikeouts. The lineup has also been thinned by injuries, with 13 players on the injured list and seven members of the Opening Day starting lineup sidelined.
The defeat added another layer to a difficult stretch. The A’s entered the series after being swept in four games at Kansas City and had already lost four straight, eight of 10 and 17 of 21, carrying the lowest winning percentage in the majors at 49-79. This loss pushed the record to 49-80 and left the offense searching for a way to turn baserunners into something more.
The A’s will try to answer in the next game with Jacob Lopez (5-4, 5.22 ERA, 81 K), who has allowed two runs or fewer in seven straight starts, against Hunter Brown (3-3, 3.67 ERA, 72 K), with first pitch set for 4:10 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Sacramento A’s pitcher JT Ginn will start for the A’s against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Field in Houston on Fri Aug 21, 2026 (AP file photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Jeremiah Salmonson:
#1 On Thursday the Sacramento A’s were swept in a four game series against the Kansas City Royals 6-2 at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City. In the loss it further sinks the A’s in the AL West.
#2 The Royals Bobby Witt Jr hit a home run that scored three runs and wound up beating the A’s 6-2 needlesss to say Witt had a himself a series against the A’s with key hits that help the Royals win most of the four games.
#3 The A’s now have lost 17 of their last 21 games and Wednesday night’s game for example they lost in the late innings when relievers Hayen Juneger and Drew Rom were both rocked in the eighth inning for seven runs.
#4 The A’s got some offense when they scored two runs in the top of the fifth inning. The A’s loaded the bases on three walks in a row and Brian Serven’s base hit and ground out scored runs for the A’s
#5 The A’s open a three game series with the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Field on Friday. Starting pitchers for Sacramento RHP JT Ginn (8-7 ERA 3.53) for Houston RHP Hayden Wesneski (2-1 ERA 5.16) for 5:10pm PDT.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. celebrates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Athletics in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.Colin E. Braley/AP Photo/Colin E. Braley
By Mauricio Segura
Every time the Sacramento Athletics found ways to put runners on base, Kansas City kept finding ways to make those runners disappear. The Royals Bobby Witt Jr. supplied the early jolt, Isaac Collins delivered the biggest hit with men aboard, and the Royals finished a four-game sweep with a 6-2 win that sent the A’s to 49-79 and extended their losing streak to four.
Sacramento had an opening immediately. Henry Bolte singled to begin the game, but Jeff McNeil followed with a double play. Zack Gelof then drew a walk and Lawrence Butler singled, only for Max Muncy to strike out. Kansas City needed far less traffic. Witt turned the first pitch he saw from Gage Jump into a solo homer to left-center, giving the Royals a 1-0 lead. Maikel Garcia followed with a double, but Darell Hernaiz recovered from a fielding error on Salvador Perez’s grounder and helped cut Garcia down at home.
The A’s missed an even bigger chance in the second. Carlos Cortes singled, Donovan Walton drew a walk and Hernaiz added an infield single to load the bases with one out. Randy Dobnak escaped when Bolte struck out and McNeil grounded out. Sacramento put two more aboard in the third after a Muncy walk and Cortes’ second hit, but Brian Serven struck out. Dobnak worked four scoreless innings despite allowing six hits and four walks.
Kansas City made its chances count. Witt singled in the third, Perez followed with another hit and Vinnie Pasquantino drew a walk to load the bases. Collins then lined a two-run single to left for a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, Michael Massey singled and Nick Loftin tripled him home. Jump intentionally put Witt on, then retired John Rave on a fielder’s choice that erased Loftin at the plate. Perez followed with an RBI single to make it 5-0.
Jump entered the game with 85 strikeouts through his first 15 career starts, the third-highest total in Athletics history over that span, behind only Tim Hudson and Sonny Gray. Kansas City still reached him for five runs in four innings, ending his afternoon before the A’s finally mounted their only scoring push.
The response began in the fifth against Carlos Duran. Butler drew a walk, Muncy and Cortes followed with walks of their own, and Serven singled home Butler with the bases loaded. Connor Thomas replaced Duran and Walton brought Muncy home on a groundout, trimming the deficit to 5-2. Hernaiz lined out to end the threat.
Taylor Rashi then made his A’s debut after being recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. He allowed a run in the fifth when Collins reached and Massey doubled him home, but Rashi prevented further damage and worked a scoreless sixth. His appearance made him the 58th player used by the Athletics this season.
The Green and Gold never generated another rally. Butler singled to open the seventh, but Craig Kimbrel entered and retired Muncy and Cortes before Butler was caught stealing. The A’s did not put another runner on base. John Schreiber handled the eighth and Nate Pearson retired Bolte, McNeil and Gelof in order in the ninth.
Butler finished with two hits and a walk, while Cortes had two hits and a walk of his own. Walton doubled and drove in a run, and Serven supplied the other RBI. The lack of road offense has been a season-long problem for Sacramento, which entered the game with the second-fewest road runs in the majors and a .224 batting average away from home.
The next stop is Houston, where Sacramento starter J.T. Ginn (8-7, 3.53 ERA, 114 K) is set to face Houston starter Hayden Wesneski (2-1, 5.16 ERA, 18 K), with first pitch scheduled for 5:10 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Henry Bolte warms up before the contest against the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City on Wed Aug 19, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacamento Athletics watched a four-run advantage disappear in one brutal inning as Kansas City rallied for a 9-7 victory at Kaufman Stadium on Wednesday night. Sacramento scored twice in the first and three more in the fifth, while Jeffrey Springs delivered one of his better outings of the season, but the Royals turned the eighth inning into the difference with seven runs against Hayden Juenger and Drew Rom.
Henry Bolte started the game with a single and immediately scored when Jeff McNeil doubled to center. Zack Gelof followed with an RBI single that brought home McNeil, giving the A’s a 2-0 lead before Kansas City starter Seth Lugo recorded an out. Gelof later stole second, but the Athletics could not add another run in the inning.
Springs, making his first major league start since returning from a right hip injury, gave the A’s a strong chance to win. The outing was also the 200th appearance of his career. He entered with an 11-game losing streak, the longest active skid in the majors, but held Kansas City to two runs on five hits over 5 2/3 innings, with two walks and one strikeout. He allowed only one run through five innings before Vinnie Pasquantino homered in the sixth. Springs left with a 5-2 lead and received a no-decision.
The Athletics built that cushion with a three-run fifth. Donovan Walton and Max Muncy opened the rally with back-to-back singles, and Bolte drove in Walton with another base hit. McNeil followed with an RBI single that scored Muncy, and Gelof brought Bolte home on a force play. Bolte finished 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, while McNeil went 2-for-4 with two RBI. McNeil entered the game batting .380 since the All-Star break, while Bolte had been one of the club’s hottest hitters in August.
The A’s bullpen entered the game with the highest ERA in the majors, and the eighth inning showed why. Maikel Garcia opened with a triple against Juenger and scored on Pasquantino’s single. Salvador Perez then drew a walk, bringing Rom into the game with two runners aboard and nobody out.
Kansas City kept applying pressure. Kyle Isbel singled home Pasquantino, and Isaac Collins followed with a sacrifice fly that scored Perez and tied the game 5-5. Rom then intentionally walked Bobby Witt Jr., loading the bases for John Rave.
Rave delivered the biggest swing of the game, a three-run double to right that scored Tyler Tolbert, Isbel and Witt. Garcia, batting for the second time in the inning, added an RBI single that brought home Rave and pushed the Royals ahead 9-5.
Sacramento still had one final response. With two outs in the ninth, Walton singled and moved to second before Muncy launched a two-run homer to center, trimming the deficit to 9-7. Muncy finished 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI, but Bolte grounded out to end it.
The loss was especially difficult because the A’s had put themselves in position to reward Springs for a strong return. Instead, another late collapse left the starter without a victory and gave Kansas City its third straight win in the series.
The series finale will match Sacramento rookie left-hander Gage Jump (5-7, 4.50 ERA, 85 K) against Kansas City right-hander Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.73 ERA, 25 K), with first pitch scheduled for 11:10 a.m. Pacific Thursday.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Sacramento A’s Jeff McNeil gets an RBI single in the top of the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kaufman Stadium on Wed Aug 19, 2026 (AP News photo)
Sacramento A’s podcast Bridget Mulcahy:
#1 How did Max Muncy hit a home run to deep 414 feet to help the A’s make a late comeback attempt in the ninth inning although the A’s fell two runs short in a 9-7 loss?
#2 Jeff McNeil hit an RBI double and later scored on Zack Gelof’s single in the top of the first inning?
#3 Henry Bolte got a two run single and help get the A’s a two run 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning?
#4 Zack Gelof got a hit and two RBis in the top of the fifth inning to get the A’s a four run 5-1 lead?
#5 What went wrong for A’s pitchers Hayden Juenger and Drew Rom in the eighth inning, for Juneger didn’t retire a batter in the eighth inning allowing two hits and three earned runs and Rom pitched an inning allowed three hits and four earned runs.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
Kansas City Royals Tyler Tolbert runs to first base after hitting a two run ninth inning single to help defeat the Sacramento A’s at Kaufman Stadium on Tue Aug 18, 2026 (AP News photo)
By Mauricio Segura
The Sacramento A’s needed three outs to turn six scoreless innings and a three-run lead into a much-needed victory. Instead, the Kansas City Royals erased the entire margin in the bottom of the ninth, with Tyler Tolbert delivering a game-tying two-run single before Bobby Witt Jr. ended it with an RBI single to left for a 4-3 Royals win.
Sacramento struck first against Daniel Lynch IV, but the opening inning also offered an early hint of how precious every run would become. Zack Gelof drew a one-out walk, Jeff McNeil singled, and Jonah Heim loaded the bases with another walk. Tommy White then sent a ground-ball single into left to score Gelof. McNeil tried to score as well, but Nick Loftin’s throw reached catcher Carter Jensen in time for the out at home, limiting the Athletics to one run.
The pitching plan worked beautifully for most of the game. Brady Basso opened with 2 1/3 scoreless innings before Jack Perkins took over. Together, they held Kansas City scoreless through six on three hits. The Athletics also turned two double plays behind Perkins, while Jonah Heim and Alika Williams erased Carter Jensen on a successful challenge of a stolen-base attempt in the third. Perkins finished his work by striking out Kyle Isbel, Loftin and Witt in order in the sixth.
The A’s finally added breathing room in the top of that inning. Henry Bolte singled, Gelof drew his second walk, and McNeil lined a run-scoring single to left. After the runners advanced on a groundout, Lawrence Butler drew a walk to load the bases, and Max Muncy followed with a bases-loaded walk that scored Gelof for a 3-0 lead. McNeil’s two-hit performance continued a strong second half; he entered the game batting .373 since the All-Star break.
Kansas City began cutting into the advantage in the seventh. Jac Caglianone doubled off Drew Rom and scored when Vinnie Pasquantino doubled to right. Luis Medina stopped the inning there, then helped produce a double play in the eighth. Trouble returned with two outs when Isaac Collins and Witt drew walks and Caglianone reached on an infield single after an overturned challenge. With the bases loaded, Hogan Harris got Maikel Garcia to line out to right, preserving a 3-1 lead.
That escape only delayed the ending. Harris retired Pasquantino to begin the ninth, but Salvador Perez reached on catcher interference, Michael Massey singled, and Jensen drew a walk to load the bases. Tolbert, batting for Isbel, grounded a two-run single into left to tie the game. Elvis Alvarado replaced Harris, and manager Mark Kotsay ejected by first-base umpire Alex Tosi. Alvarado retired Collins, but Witt followed with a single to left that brought Jensen home with the winning run.
The finish landed directly on one of the Athletics’ biggest season-long problems. They entered the game with 36 losses in games they had led, tied with Kansas City for second most in the majors, and 11 losses after holding leads of three runs or more. Both totals increased by one. Harris had also saved six of the A’s previous seven wins and entered with a 1.95 road ERA, making the ninth-inning collapse especially costly.
If the current probables hold, Wednesday’s matchup will feature Athletics left-hander Gage Jump (5-7, 4.50 ERA, 85 strikeouts) against Royals right-hander Seth Lugo (5-7, 4.59 ERA, 108 strikeouts), with first pitch scheduled for 4:40 p.m. Pacific.
Costa Rican-born Mauricio Segura has been covering sports in the Bay Area since 2001 for a variety of magazines and newspapers, as well as his own publication, Golden Bay Times.
Whether you’re pre-gaming with the Kings or celebrating an A’s win, Cyprus Grille at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena is your downtown go-to.
⚡Craft cocktails? Check. 🔥Game-day bites? Oh yeah. 🏟️Steps from Golden 1 Center? You bet.
Open daily, Cyprus Grille is serving up local flavor with a front-row seat to the action. Stop by before or after the game—or make it your new downtown hangout.
Cyprus Grille—where fans fuel up.
📍Located inside the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown – Arena @ 300 J Street
Happy Hour – 4pm-6pm
Show your ticket for additional discounts when dining in.
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